The scenic Bedwell River near where volunteer crews will be cleaning up the Bedwell Trail.

Party in the park and volunteer round-up to clean-up an old trail

The Friends of Strathcona Park (FOSP) are hosting the Strathcona Wilderness Festival on Sat. Aug. 20 to commemorate the park’s 100th anniversary, and organizing a work crew to repair part of Bedwell Trail from Aug. 20-25.

The Friends of Strathcona Park (FOSP) are hosting the Strathcona Wilderness Festival on Sat. Aug. 20 to commemorate the park’s 100th anniversary, and organizing a work crew to repair part of Bedwell Trail from Aug. 20-25.

The festival will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Buttle Lake, and will feature a host of free activities.

Attendees can take part in a water colour painting class, rock climbing, kayak tours, kid’s activities, informational talks from experts, and even free yoga classes and massages, among other things.

FOSP director Kel Kelly, said he is looking forward to the festival.

“We’re very excited to be doing this to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the park,” he said.

Dubbed a “self-survival festival” by Kelly, the event requires attendees to be self sufficient.

They must bring their own lunch and any gear they may need for the activities, and take their garbage back with them, as the only amenities available will be water and toilets.

FOSP director Carol Hunter said she expects the turnout to be big.

“There’s been a lot of interest,” said Hunter. “The level of people wanting to be involved and take part has just been huge.”

FOSP has arranged for bus transportation for people who don’t want to drive out to Buttle Lake.

The Campbell River pick-up location is near River Sportsman in Campbellton.

People catching the bus need to call Hunter at 250-339-2300 or e-mail her at friendsofstrathcona@gmail.com for details and to reserve their spot.

During the Strathcona Wilderness Festival a volunteer work party will be given a send-off as they set out to work on the Bedwell Trail for the next five days.

The crew will be rebuilding the trail from Bedwell Lake to Ashwood Creek. Kelly said about 25 volunteers have signed up already, but they would like to have 45 in total.

“We really welcome more volunteers, and anyone who’s relatively fit and willing to put in light labour and have lots of fun,” said Kelly.

While tools are provided, volunteers must carry their own camping gear and food. Most of the work is brush clipping, according to Kelly.

FOSP has obtained approval from B.C. Parks for this project, which Kelly said he is happy about.

“We’re feeling very good about doing this because it is a collaborative effort with B.C. Parks,” he said.

For more information, or to volunteer, call Kelly at 250-337-8348 or email him at kelkelly55@yahoo.ca.